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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · bay · current · wake · chest · last · bark · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — of water
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. last — final
  11. current — electric
  12. chest — a box
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — finally
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bark — to shout
  19. last — to go on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — the season
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com